As the world falls down
by Cherry B
Summary: Set after X3, Jean's been keeping secrets and a dark power is brewing, new faces have appeared at the Xmansion and Logan is faced with his toughest challenge yet. Mainly WolverineOC. WarrenOC. Other ships included.
1. Chapter 1

AN- Story began as a favour to a friend and so we decided to post it. Hope you enjoy it. Some things are probably OC but stick with it. Mainly occurs in the movie verse of the x-men, but refers to other elements of the comic, and by no means do I know every detail about the x-men corectly, but I'll do my best. Critical reviews are definatly welcome! Characters of Herni and Meadow belong to E. Bowler, everything else belongs to the marvel that is Stan Lee and co.

Enjoy...

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Chapter 1 -

Henri Grau looked at the intimidating mansion that lay before her eyes. Dusk was settling around the grounds and the air had a chill about it. Although pleasant as it was, Henri could sense the moisture in the air and smiled at the prospect of rain. Blinking from her daze, she noted her company standing slightly adjacent from her. The girl's tousled blond locks were blowing into her face, though her head was slightly down, masking the sweetness that she genuinely possessed about her face. Henri knew what she was thinking, she didn't need to be a telepathic for that, she was just a very good friend.

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Ororo Munroe's face lit up like wild fire at the slight of Henri Grau.

"My, My, My, I would've never of thought it." She laughed with glee and smiled, walking down the stairs.

The small 15 year old who answered the door looked between Storm's beaming face to Henri's proud one and finally to the pale blond girl who was eyeing the mansions surroundings with caution.

"I'm glad you made it." Storm spoke genuinely, embracing Henri. "Artie, go and round up Hank and Logan, if they're about, I think they need to meet some people."

Artie nodded a little too enthusiastically and ran down the hall. By this time a couple of other mutant kids had peered out of the near by rooms, rounding up their bags and papers from their previous class.

"I didn't think I was that interesting - what have you been saying Storm?" Henri smirked.

"Well it's a mixture of you and dinner I think." Storm replied smiling lightly as the students filed through the corridor and down to where the delicious smell was coming from.

Suddenly a large blue figure appeared from the doorway after the children and smiled greatly.

"I knew there was something special about you Henri, anyone who can get that sort of laugh from Ororo, must be something good, though anyone with a name beginning with 'H' must be good in my books." Beast Chuckled.

"Hank." Ororo rolled her eyes.

Hank lightly shook Henri's hand as Henri smiled and shook his. The blue man may have looked intimidating and ferocious but Henry sensed a heart of gold, if not a sense of humour about Dr Hank McCoy.

Hank turned to the blond girl in Henri's company and smiled politely putting out his hand.

"Dr Hank McCoy."

"Meadowthayer...Meadow."

"Err, pleased to meet you Meadow, that name? Forgive me, is it eastern?"

"Grecian, perhaps?" The blond replied and said no more when she saw Hank waiting for a response.

Hank's brow lowered at the comment and released his hand from the young girl's grip, his fury paw having a tingling sensation.

"Well, Henry, Hank, Meadow, dinner is about to be served, if you'll join us?" Storm smiled and lead the way.

"You know why I asked you here?" Storm spoke closely to Henri.

"I heard about Jean...and everything...I, I just thought it was time to make an appearance, Charles wanted Meadow and I to come sooner, but well..." Henri took a glance to her best friend, who was too busy looking around to notice Henri's intense look.

Henri turned to Ororo and blinked regaining her smile. "Yeah, I think it was time to head here."

The small group walked a couple of meters to a canteen style lobby, to which they picked up a plate and cutlery and headed to a counter. Although the whole idea reminded Henri of school days in the lunch hall, she reminded herself of the expensive wall paper and the warm glow of the lanterns on the wall and noted this was no ordinary school.

They chose their food and walked into an extended dinning room, maple wood dinning furniture and rich red carpets.

The thought crossed Henri's mind that she could quite easily get used to this.

Surveying the room, one could see the children all looking at the unfamiliar faces, a buzz in the air at the prospect of new people. A group of mature teens looked over at the girls in surprise. A young man who had chilled his soda with his hand received a death glare from the young lady who had a white flash at the front of her hair. The small group saw Bobby's reaction to Rogue's stare and laughed, causing more attention to their group than what the young ice man had attended.

Storm rolled her eyes at them and Henri smiled, winking at Bobby, who in turn blushed.

The group had sat down and trivial chat was made. Hank was soon in a rapture conversation about politics and ethics of the mutant society with Henri as he was simply shocked by her knowledge of the condescending subjects.

"You're very quiet." Storm spoke to Meadow, who had yet to take her coat off in the dinning room."

Henri looked briefly over, before giving her full attention back to Hank.

Meadow looked at the beautiful black woman and simply stayed quiet, her own mental smirk coming to mind as she noted the black woman's smile run out of patience when she didn't answer.

"Where's the nearest rest room please?" Meadow asked finally, a little too sweetly.

"Down the corridor, second on the left." Storm replied putting her fork and food a little too forcefully in her mouth.

Meadow walked out of the canteen rolling her eyes, feeling the stares on her back. She folded her arms in annoyance and paced on, passing a brooding, dark, stranger, who she could have sworn sniffed the space she walked in.

"…And as I say the cure itself, essentially was only the work of a scientist who was ashamed, genius work, but not completely true if you ask me. Of course I may be being biased here." Hank spoke, his last sentence with light humour, brushing his fur on his face.

"Now, now Hank, it's a good job he only flies and doesn't have super sensitive hearing." Ororo spoke softly noticing Warren get up and leave the canteen on the other side of the room. His wings strapped under his bulky jumper, three sizes too big for him.

"So that's Warren Worthington's son? Geez he must completely take after his mother looking like that." Henri stated, watching the angelic looking man, noting his melancholy state, his back looked hunched and bulky and uncomfortable, the tail ends of his magnificent feathers reaching from out under his big black expensive jumper.

"And that much money makes a guy look like that? To be rich? No thank you..."

The table looked to the gruff tones that came from the steely man who sat own with a thud and hurriedly started eating his food.

"Er, Logan? This is Henri Grau."

Without looking up from his food Logan spoke.

"Henri? Thought it was a boy's name?"

Hank had a smile on his face, while Ororo look annoyed. Luckily Henri smiled and spoke.

"Wolverine? Aren't they some weird little creatures that live out in the wilderness somewhere?"

Storm suppressed her laugh as did Hank and Logan looked up.

His reply was cut short as he took his first real glimpse of the figure before him. Immaculately dressed in a smart two piece brown number, her long glossy dark hair had an almost permanent sheen to its quality and her eyes smiled even when she wasn't smiling. The dark orbs had the same glistening effect her hair did and Logan instantly knew the aroma he caught in the corridor that drew him to the canteen belonged to this woman. In a state of slight embarrassment. Logan coughed in his throat, wiped his large hand on the thigh of his jeans and carefully shook her hand with a polite smile across Hank.

"Logan...Wolverine."

"Henri Grau...teacher at the Xavier school for the gifted."

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The first night had been difficult. The second night had been harder.

Warren Worthington the third traced his bare foot steps on the plush carpet of the room he'd been given in the Xavier mansion. The woman known as Storm had been kind to consider the 17ft wing span that Warren had tried to conceal for so many years and so Warren paced his room slowly every now and then stretching his white wings, a feeling of release and content, the wings flapping on their own will to fly, to be free.

The lights in his room were off and the tall balcony windows had their curtains open. Warren walked to the large widow, placing his hands on the side panels and looked out into the night, the moon beaming strongly into his room.

So much had happened since his father's company had produced the cure. Warren knew his father had sold up the Warrington fortune and headed south somewhere, a rich retirement on the horizon and his bank funds ridiculous in amount. The Warrington name was tainted by the pharmaceutical company's blunder with the mutant world and the only one who felt worse than Warren was the young boy nicknamed Leech, Jimmy, the one who was cruelly forced into it all. Though Warren knew he didn't feel half as bad deep down as he did.

Warren sighed and flexed his powerful wings again. He really couldn't stand them being tied up for too long. But memories of his wings haunted him. To put his mind off he started doing press ups on the floor, but the memories were strong. At twelve years old, crying his eyes out at the deformity on his back that he'd tried to cut off, he was thankful he'd never been brave enough to sever them off completely. It was the shame that hurt the most, shaming his family name, shaming his dad, or at least that was what his dad had told him. His plans for boarding school were dashed and a life of 'special' home tutoring was assigned, leaving Warren in an abyss of loneliness. It had left Warren enjoying his own company, hours in silence was a blessing. His father's expensive offices became his fortress. A multitude of codes and security passes to gain access to the billionaire's family quarters; Gym and hi-tech technology; rich men's gadgets to occupy the mind and the body.

The past life had certainly been different. Now Warren could walk around, his wings proudly on show if he wanted, it didn't matter about his mutation anymore. The Xavier mansion was a haven for mutants, but still Warren felt uneasy. Why were there so few locks about the place, didn't mutants want their own privacy? And what about the mutants who couldn't be controlled - Jean Grey. He'd seen what happened that night; he saw why Logan had to kill her. His father's last words before the goodbye had been 'use your...'gift'...in light of goodness..." Hadn't his father always talked about his 'gift' being a bad thing? Hadn't his father seen as they were sitting on top of a tower near by, the devastation that mutantcy could do? Warren closed his eyes harshly, in twenty- two years he had never been so confused.

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"So I'll write up a schedule, I'll give you some pointers and I think you're ready to go, you'll be a great addition to the school, I can feel it."

Henri smiled at Ororo and gave her friend a brief hug as she turned and walked away. The corridor she was instructed to go down wasn't on her mind and soon, Henri found she wandering the mansions corridors. Level after level and door after door, Henri was surprised to see the mansion silent. Relief came over her when she stumbled into a large recreation room, filled with students in the darkness, horror movie in toe. A couple of students looked up as she brought light to the room and suddenly a hand grabbed her fore arm and took her outside.

Bobby Drake looked at Henri and smiled.

"Sorry I had to drag you out like that, only it was getting to the best part and the younger ones didn't want to be disturbed while watching 'zombie killer 15' There'd be hell to pay."

Both laughed and Henri smiled. "Sorry if you really like horror movies, I'm keeping you from it...?"

"Oh, Bobby, Bobby Drake - Ice Man." He said proudly.

Bobby shook her hand and let a small amount of frost reach her hand.

"Henri Grau, teacher for this school, but I can do this."

Henry noticed the drinking fountain by the side and flicked her hand so that the fountain turned on.

"Cool...telekinetic?"

Henri guided the water to her flattened palm and the water swirled around in mid air.

"Water manipulation?"

Henri walked to the water basin and turned her hand over and the water fell into the bowl, then she closed her palm and opened it to reveal droplets of waters sprinkling out her finger tips.

"Geez, you are water?"

"My water retention is way higher than anyone I know, human or mutant. I can manipulate my cells to become water to my commandment, but let me tell you its hard work and takes a lot. It also helps if I'm near water or there's moister in the air."

"That's so cool."

"Well I hear manipulation of ice is cool too...no pun intended." Henri smirked.

Bobby laughed and smiled at her.

"You know, after everything that's gone on around here, I think it'll be ace to have you around as one of teachers Miss Grau, we're lacking as you probably know."

Henri's heart went out to the boy. It was true; these young people needed more role models, more teachers. Jean Grey had been a fantastic teacher, as was her husband and Professor Xavier. Times had to change, for the sake of these kids. The war had never stopped brewing between human and mutants and just as there were characters like Logan who could physically train these kids for defense, these children needed to be mentally trained and physically learn about their gift.

The door to the rec-room opened again and the girl with the flash of white came out.

"Bobby I thought you'd been abducted?" She joked, though neither Henri nor Bobby laughed. Bobby smiled apologetically to Henri.

"Miss Grau, It was nice to meet you. Good night."

Rogue stayed after Bobby left and looked at Henri.

"You're our new teacher?" Rogue spoke, her strong southern accent evident.

"Yes."

"Yeh look young." It was spoken matter of factly.

Henri looked at Rogue with a curious glance. "Rogue isn't it?"

"Yes."

"What's your gift then?"

Rogue opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. "Ah hav' to go now Miss Grau, G'night."

Henri slanted her eyes at the girl as she turned and headed for her own room. She made it after seven minutes of getting lost, grateful that she came to her door.

She placed her hand on the handle and the door sprung open. Sounds of metal echoed and Henri looked up to see Logan, in surprise mode, claws unsheathed. When he realized who it was he pulled them back in and relaxed, smirking at Henri's shocked face.

"I don't think I will ever estimate a Wolverine again?"

Logan chuckled. "I'm sorry."

"No, no my fault, wrong room."

"You're next door?"

Henri made to leave but Logan stopped her.

"Hey about tonight, I was in a bit of a bad mood, kids in the danger room had a bit of a shit workout, I was angry with myself."

"Ohh, hey listen it's not big deal." Henri replied smiling lightly.

"I err, hope you enjoy the school, they're great kids."

"I think I will Charles told me a lot about this place, I wish I'd come sooner..."

It was at that point that Henri, having been in the mansion for only a few hours, absorbing the last place her old friends had been in her life that she felt the suppression of her sadness arise. Her voice was about to break and she chose then not to speak as she made her way out of Logan's room. How devastated was she when she heard they'd died, how strong she had to be for herself and Meadow.

Henri took a deep breath and felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"When I feel pent up emotion, I head to the danger room for training or a work out programme, kick their asses to next week, get out all the stress of it... I heading down there now...you can join me if you like. I hear the water gets pretty deep around you..."

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The danger room session had been bliss. Okay, not the bliss that it is to relax in a hot bath or shower or indulge in your favorite chocolate bar, but the bliss that tension and stress melts away.

Henri hadn't been used to what she'd encountered but Logan gave her a briefing on what they were to expect and what they should do, never the less Henri picked up quick in her grey joggers, black camisole and Nike trainers, hair in a long sleek high pony tail.

She escaped with cuts and bruises as the blasts went off, though Logan walked out clear from scratches, though Henri knew that had something to do with his mutant power. She really couldn't believe she'd just finished a danger room sequence with the man that they called Logan, the mutant who was widely known as the ferocious wolverine. It became evident in the practice that his wild side emerged, slicing and attacking anything in sight with his deadly adamantium claws.

The pair stood catching their breath as the simulation faded and the very large room became a cold metallic space. Logan wiped the sweat from his brow and peeled off the white t-shirt he'd been wearing. It didn't take long for Henri to notice his broad body, defined in every single way with a smattering of chest hair that lead into a trail passed his navel and further. Professional as she was, Henri couldn't help but glimpse once more.

"Thanks for that by the way, I needed it." She spoke trying to concentrate on his handsome, if what rugged face.

Logan smiled and nodded at Henri. "Anytime, H."

"H?" Henri smirked.

"H!" Logan smirked as well.

The pair made their way up to the next floor and eventually to their rooms. Henri taking a beautiful hot shower, Logan having a cold one.

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The sleep had been awful and the 6.45 am wake up call had been even worse. Apparently on Wednesday mornings 18 -22 year olds get a kick up the ass with their compulsory danger room session.

A bang on the door had alerted Meadow and a gruff voice followed.

Meadow moaned and rolled her face into the pillow. She was tired beyond belief, nightmares plaguing her mind preventing any rest. She hadn't been taken by this place at all like Henri, though she knew Henri was here to do a job, being that little bit older than her.

There was no time for a shower and her bags weren't un-packed so she grabbed her jeans and boots from last night and headed as quickly as she could out the door, following the empty corridor, before she stopped to look where she was going. Every room in the mansion had a brochure with detailed plans of where was what, but Meadow really didn't want to read it. The idea of following the noise was only because the mutant they called Wolverine scared the shit of out of her and she didn't want her ass kicked by him.

A panic flared over her and she looked both ways in frenzy, running down the corridor and back to the other end. Following round to another level and back down a flight of stairs.

"The err, danger room is this way….."

Meadow turned to the timid voice that had passed for breath and saw who she'd realized was Warren Worthington the third, the son of the man who had invented the 'cure'.

"Erm, we'll be late." He stated turning and dashing round the corridor. Meadow quickly took heed.

"7.04…Angel boy late, and what was your name kiddo?"

"Meadow, 'old man-o'."

The group of mature teens' eyes lit up as they heard Meadow's reply and waited in anticipation. This was at least going to be an interesting session never the less.

The group looked on at Warren who looked uncomfortable and Meadow who had a blank face, her arms folded.

"Miss comedy huh? Well, I think twenty laps of the garden here with wings will suit you down to a tee, and a extra 10 for you sweetheart for your lip and breaking the rules – no heeled shoes or Jeans for minors."

Neither Warren nor Meadow said anything much to the displeased group.

So, to begin, we have a new student here guys, training will only be on a level 6 today. Your mission is to not be hit by the paint balls, work as a team and defend each other. Destroy the machines if you can. Ice Man, you take the lead and make the decisions, penalty points for delays, you got it bub?"

Bobby nodded and a siren went off, suddenly the doors to the danger room opened and scene of darkness enveloped the leather clad group.

"Ah say we split Bobby, cut em off." Rogue stated scanning the area.

"No, no stay as a group. Let's see what were up against."

Suddenly a flying machine that had some kind of camera device hovered, its red beam scanning for its pray.

The group dispersed, Warren flying into the air, Kitty shielding Bobby as paint balls phased through them.

Colossus ran and grabbed a boulder and threw it as heard as he could to the machine, knocking it off its course. All the while Meadow was watching in fear at this strange combat ritual. She'd never in all her life done anything like this and she really wonder what help she could do.

"Ok, disperse, teams of two, run." Bobby shouted, icing another machine.

"There aretons of these bastards!" Moaned Kitty.

It only felt right that Warren track Meadow as he knew how she felt in the situation, heck it had only been weeks since Logan had done something similar and left him in the deep end, figuring how exactly would his mutant power fit in the team.

Warren landed lightly and pulled Meadow closer to him and they backed behind a rock, a couple of paint balls flying closely passed their heads.

"Thanks." Meadow replied but her voice was saddened as she looked anywhere but the angel man with his bare chest.

"I'm Warren." He said putting out his hand politely.

"No time for pleasantries Worthington." Rogue shouted as she and Colossus ran by quickly a machine on their tail.

"I'm Meadow. Sorry I got you into trouble earlier."

"No you didn't, I woke up late anyway."

"If you hadn't have stopped, to talk, you wouldn't have been late." Meadow replied.

Warren didn't speak; he only took her hand and ran to another nearby boulder, scanning the area for the machines.

The sound of Peter 'metaling' up, Kitty's phasing and Bobby's ice was soon more frenzied as the team were running here there and everywhere.

"How long do these sessions last?" Meadow asked, finally turning to Warren. If only she had the time to look on at this creature before her. He had started to laugh at her tone, his beautiful sapphire eyes sparkling before his brow fused and his large wings suddenly enveloped around the pair of them, orange paint smeared on his beautiful white wings. The machine started to move on and Warren opened his wings. Meadow turned to look at the machine. It sensed her and hovered a couple of meters back. She bravely scurried up the boulder and jumped at the machine, her fingers outstretched. The machine shot at her but only just as the metal seized and turned to stone, its technology stopping it mid flight and crashing to the ground with Meadow, the machine smashing to a thousand pieces.

"Medusa, Wings, your out, leave the room." Came Logan's gruff voice over a speaker system.

Warren led the way and Meadow followed, her top covered in orange paint.

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_I could really get use to this._ Henri thought as she finished off her scrambled eggs, a hot cup of black coffee. The sun was streaming through the x mansion, _probably Storm's doing, _and everyone was genuinely in a good mood. The sun had risen finally early and by mid morning, a lush heat swept the grounds. Today had been the first day of many a meeting for Henri and the adults of the x-mansion. Plenty discussions of new programs and teaching methods. Hank particularly liked the idea of settling the more philsophical lectures that Charles use to do with Henry giving them all free time to use their own mutation skills in the physical classes. It was agreed that Emma Frost was to be recruited as another lecturer as well as Kurt Wagner as their own powers were useful additions to any students learning's.

"Right that's enough meeting time I'm afraid, I've got a 12.15 before we break for lunch." Ororo spoke, picking up a brief case filled with papers.

Hank stood up to and headed to the door. "See you all at lunch."

Wolverine stood up and growled, lighting a cigar in the process. He then took on board that he was being watched.

"What?" he mumbled through his lips.

"Meadow shouldn't be pushed like, that, she's different from the rest."

"If different you mean by cocky, then yes she should be. Even if it's her first danger room session, she's not a baby."

"No, but she has had no real training with her powers, she's frightened of them."

"So what? That makes her shy? If so she can head where Wings is going 'cus the pair of them are exactly the same. They don't understand what it is to come to this school, to be an x-man."

"Now that's not fair Logan, it was me who forced her to come here in the first place."

Logan blew a puff of smoke out and walked through it closer to Henri.

"Listen H, I ain't the one to come to when ya wanna whine and cry, K? I'm just saying I don't like to treat the students any different from each other. They've all been through what I put Meadow through today and that's why she's doing laps after dinner."

"That's fine, that's the way you work, but? Well just remember what I said okay?

Logan shrugged his shoulders casually and focused on his cigar.

Henri pursed her lips and stood up, leaving for her first class with some youngsters.

"Oh by the way, Storm told me about the tolerance of your smoking in the mansion." She spoke as she walked up to him and placed her hand over the hand holding his cigar. Water emerged from her finger tips in a small jet and put out the cigar. "Don't do it around me."

Henri walked off with a smirk on her lips leaving a bemused Logan shaking his wet hand.

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Two weeks had passed and for the second time in a row Meadow had found herself late, though this time all the Wednesday's group argued with Logan that she was only seconds late and though it made Logan smile to see that Meadow was being accepted by the students, he had to stick to his ways.

"Twenty laps around the gardens before dinner -…"

"Excuse me, Lo-…"

"And you're joining her Wings."

"But I wasn't late?"

"Five extra."

Warren sighed and shook his head and Meadow folded her arms in a huff before she undid them as she caught Logan with a raised eyebrow at her.

The past week had been turbulent but deep down Meadow was thankful that Henri had forced her to come to the Xavier School for the gifted. She had been able to start to make friends with these kinder mutants and begin to listen to herself and her own views of muntancy. The only time she had been able to talk to Henri properly was on the nights in which if meetings, danger room sessions or any other plans weren't on. It made her feel lonely and vulnerable at times without Henri around, but she knew it was a matter of time before Henri would need to talk to her with the likes of the teachers.

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The sun was still up, though the temperature had dropped and the silence around was still. Logan sat on a deck chair, paper in his hands, Cigar in his mouth as he waited for his two students.

"Oh not again, what has she done this time?"

Logan squinted his eyes at the beautiful sight of his latest confidant walking up the stairs, denim shorts and a nice red shirt with a classy black cardigan over her slim arms. The mane of glossy hair let loose to blow in the fresh breeze.

"I'm guessing its Meadow as you've got that chuffed look about yourself."

"Nothing wrong with sitting in the evening sun and catching up on the sports page."

"Hmm, while waiting for your victims, you're so cruel Logan." Henri smirked.

Logan smiled as well and put down the paper, himself in jeans and shirt.

"You look like your about to go out?" Henri said surprised at his attire.

"Was thinking about a drive, have a beer far away."

"Kids too much for you?" Henri said as she sat on the next deck chair.

"Nah…you're a kid aren't you?" Logan smirked at the beauty before him.

"I'll have to agree with you there Logan, compared to you 'sweetheart' I am a child."

There was no harshness in Henri's words only light humor and Logan laughed as he had done the previous times he'd talked with this confident young woman. It was odd to have that place that was once reserved for something, here, with her.

Logan had found a listener and a speaker, a modernist and a traditionalist. A youngster in comparison to himself, but a mature woman to the girls. Their danger room session had proved to be more than just a physical and mental work out. It had become what Logan now yearned for, a secret company that was completely mutual.

Warren came from behind the pair, tracksuit joggers and top, cut with two slices for his wings to be free, but folded.

"Warren, hi, you okay?"

"I'm fine Miss Grau, thank you."

"You had some good answers in the class today, I never knew you knew so much about Walter Benjamin's essays." Henri spoke.

"My father had a lot of books." He replied with a small quick, if not saddened smile.

Logan saw the awkwardness over come Warren about his father and spoke up. "Err, yeah Worthington, you agility is really coming on, I'd like to see you take your flight higher perhaps, level 8, whatta yeh say?"

"Err, yeah, that, that would be good, I guess?"

"Err yeh?... Where the hell is Medusa anyway?"

"Logan, stop calling her that, she'll develop a complex, a bad one."

As if no cue Meadow arrived, rushing out through the double doors, hair tied in a pony tail, shorts and sleeveless t-shirt.

"Right you two get going, 30 minutes."

Meadow took a pleading glance at Henri and rolled her eyes when Henri's eyes told her she couldn't do anything.

Warren caught the look and started jogging, Meadow followed.

Logan and Henri watched the pair head through the garden and into the start of the trees.

It seemed a few minutes with the sun basking on their faces before Logan turned to Henri.

"You free tonight?"

"I've got no plans."

"You like beer?"

Henri nodded.

"Wanna grab one with me?"

Henry could hear the slight awkwardness in Logan's voice and smiled. "Sure."

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It had been 6 minutes and 2 seconds before Meadow stopped, hands on hips catching her breath. She was definitely not use to the demanding physical training of the x-men or some of the x-men's endurance for physical demands. Warren only stopped running when he noticed Meadow wasn't close behind him and yet when he saw her a few meters back he jogged back and still kept jogging on the spot.

"I think Logan won't be able to track us." huffed Meadow.

"It took further last time before we stopped." Warren spoke finally stopping his movements, not a slight out of breath.

"Yeah, but Henri is with him."

The pair exchanged a look between them, half smirking, half mischievous.

"I think the Wolverine is taken back by your friend." Warren smirked.

"I'll agree with you on that and say it's vise versa."

"Well, in times like this it keeps him off our backs." Warren spoke flexing his large white wings to their full span.

Meadow had to admit, it wasn't something she could ever get over. The majestic beauty this boy held in every cell of his body was unbelievable. And yet Warren himself still found it hard to really accept himself as beautiful. His shy persona covered up any hint of wanting to seen as beautiful, his wings still strapped to his back in times when he felt nervous or worried.

Warren caught Meadow looking and blushed, though not feeling embarrassed in front of her. It was Meadow who blushed when Warren smiled politely at her.

"Shall we walk for a bit? We can carry on our conversation about the analytical context of why Scar is a better bad guy than Shere Kahn." He smiled, sending Meadow into her own, if not dorky smile about their previousconversation.

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The drive along to the bar had been pleasant. Logan hadn't driven too fast on the motorcycle that now lay in the care of the x-mansion. If Logan was honest, he didn't really want to use the chopper anymore, not after the memories it had, it only had felt right to take the bike with Scott knowing.

Perhaps that was the reason why he was going slow, though Henri didn't know this.

Pine trees gave way to a clear opening to which a maize field overwhelmed their vision. The rocky road lead down to a clearing where the start of a selection of buildings sat seated.

The bar that Logan pulled up to held other bikes parked outside and by now the evening had turned to dusk, letting the moon once again shine in all her glory, illuminating Henri's hair and highlighting her features, once she'd taken off her helmet. The couple shared a relaxed smile and Logan felt a sense of ease, if not pride when he walked into the bar with this woman by his side. Looks prevailed the pair, and Logan was overwhelmed with a sense of urgency to protect Henri in any shape or form. So much so that he instinctively intertwined his fingers with her right hand and led her away from the leering stares of the daunting bikers. Henri silently woke to his guiding and her heart skipped a beat, having no time to look at the men leering, only the man who for the first time had seen him touch someone so intimately in two weeks.

The semi crowed bar looked at the pair, taking caution to look at the beautiful brunette as her chaperone mimicked a growl if they looked too long. Henri inside had to suppress her smile.

"Two beers bub, cold… and a clean glass for the lady."

Two bar stools became free as the customers moved to the other end of the bar, but Henri took hold of Logan's arm, beers in his hands, and led him to a secluded alcove, warmly lit and full of traditional charm. The pair sat down and Logan coughed to himself, sipping the beer bottle quickly. Henri poured her beer into the glass, seemingly memorized with the motions of liquid. A slight sense of butterflies fluttering inside her.

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	2. Chapter 2

AN - Characters of Meadow and Henri belong to E. Bowler, the rest is the amazing work of Stan Lee and co.

(Lines in italics are thoughts.)

Enjoy.

**Chapter 2**

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"This is cozy."

It was the dumbest thing Wolverine could think of, but the words slipped off his tongue, the beer bottle coming straight onto his lips.

"Do you want another beer?" Henri asked smiling.

Logan looked around the room, surveying the scene, the only odd looks coming from a man hidden in shadow.

Logan sniffed the air and growled low to himself. Henri couldn't get over it, the masculinity he possessed in that one noise, it overwhelmed her.

"I don't think I like this place anymore."

"Why? What do you sense?" She asked cautiously.

* * *

"Ok so we've covered enough Disney and movie trivia for one night." Warren laughed walking to the edge of the lake, the evening having cooled dramatically. "I never knew I'd watched so many films?" Warren sighed slightly. "Too much time to myself…."

Meadow nodded in understanding and came closer to the winged mutant before laying on her front in the grass, starring at the calm water, the moon now reflecting on its surface.

Warren knew she'd done that for his sake, sitting normally was impossible unless his wings had enough space to hang down, otherwise it just hurt.

Warren stood still and watched the contours of her body as she shuffled in the grass, an obvious sign the grass was prickling her bare legs. He swallowed and let his eyes wander over her ankles and her trim calves, noting the moles and freckles that lay dotted here and there. She'd slipped her trainers off and her toes were curling in the grass; a mind of their own. The shorts she wore only gave him enough view of a quarter of her creamy thigh but it was enough for him. His eyes wandered over her backside and to the dip in her lower back, her shoulders now being illuminated by the light of the moon, her hair looking a shade lighter, almost platinum like his own. He liked it how she wasn't at all super skinny or athletic. She carried her curves better than Rogue or Storm and often he had to tell himself to concentrate on her pretty cherub face, not that he didn't anway by any means. He found himself lucky to have discovered her sweet smile, full of laughter, a sound he'd come to treasure recently. He swallowed again and lay beside her, his strong arms taking his weight with complete ease. His wings folding in but relaxed enough and onefoundit's way to be touching the side of meadows body.

"Are they a bastard to wash?" Meadow asked turning her face to him and without warning brushing a part of them.

"They're waterproof….to a degree, but when they're soaked, it does feel uncomfortable……if you see two hairdryers in my room it's not that I'm vain at all." Warren laughed.

She turned to him from being mesmerized by the soft wings and smiled without showing her teeth. "We'll have to head back soon, Logan and Henri may be back."

"Henri will cover us and I'm sure, they're not back yet, like I said before, I think Logan is smitten. But if you feel like we're gonna be late, give me a shout, I can always fly us back to the mansion?"

"True." Meadow smirked. "Let's just hope no one is watching from their windows or they'll give the game away."

The pair looked out to the water and starred, a slight uncomfortableness overcoming them.

"You said…..about your dad…..are you going to still see him?"

Warren hadn't looked as uneasy as Meadow would have thought. He took his time to speak, but did talk.

"I hope so, one day…I guess, maybe?"

Another silence.

"What about your family then? You haven't spoken about them yet."

"I don't want to, I'm not too sure who is family anymore, like yourself……I find them then I loose them…..I guess Henri feels like family though, when I see her."

"You two related?"

"Cousins, kinda."

"Oh."

"I couldn't have come here by myself, you're very brave."

Warren smiled uneasy.

Another silence enveloped the pair.

"Does the cure actually work?"

Warren paused and then shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno?...My father forced me to take it….but I managed to back out of it…well I actually just flew through a window, not even thinking straight and I ended up here…."

"Did you hurt yourself?"

Warren turned his face to her and nodded sheepishly but smiled. It caused the same smile to erupt on Meadows face.

"But if I had Wolverines power I'd be hurling myself out of windows all the time." Warren chirped.

Meadow smiled and rolled her eyes. "We better head back, I'll have to jog sometime to make it look like I worked up a sweat.

"Stay still."

It was female instinct that made Meadow panic about what he was to say, but before he could speak, she'd shot up and waved her hands in a frenzy.

"Get it out, get it out!"

"Wait, wait!" Warren cried standing up close to her, grabbing her top arms and steadying her. His hand moved to her cheek and reached higher. Tracing his fingers through a lock of her hair he closed his palm and showed her he'd caught something. Meadow squealed and battered his hand away from her making Warren laugh at her ridiculous noises.

"I hate HATE spiders."

"It's okay; it was only a lady bird." Warren chuckled opening his palm and watching the little creature walk around not bothered about anything.

"Little bastard." Meadow muttered tempted to touch it.

Warren put it on a leaf and smiled to her.

Meadow caught her breath, steadying her weight on each foot. "Come on Doctor Doolittle, let's head back." She tried to joke.

"Listen I'll fly us. Besides I'm enjoying your hissy fits."

"I thought it was a spider, okay?"

Warren laughed. "Come here." He spoke still laughing embracing her with humor. "I'll protect you from the dangers of the wilderness, I'm not a x-man for just any reason you know." He mocked, putting on a deeper voice.

Meadow suppressed her laugh trying to glare at him as she looked up to his face, realizing for the first time how close she was to Warren. It was at that point Warren realized the same thing.

* * *

"We'd better head back, H, or those kids will have field day if were not back."

Logan stood and took Henri's hand again. She still couldn't get use to this aspect of Logan, the contact between them growing.

They made to leave and as they did so the man in the corner rose.

"Grey? Henri Grey?"

Henri squinted until the man came out the shadows.

"I'm sorry I think you are mi…..." Henri stopped dead in their tracks with Logan and looked on at the man.

"Henri Grey, it is you."

"Listen buddy, what do you want? Logan mumbled but stopped as he recognized the man. A growl emitted from his chest. "Whatta ya want Lensherr?"

"Nothing my dear boy, I just came for a simple beer, that's all. I just thought I recognized someone you see….I just thought this beautiful young woman, belonged in the Grey family is all, it's obvious she doesn't, she says so." Erik Lensherr put on his hat and smiled bidding the pair goodbye.

Logan looked on till he walked out the door and his brow tensed as he looked to Henri for an explanation, but all she could do was stare into space, her mouth gasping ever so lightly.

* * *

The closeness gave Meadow a tingling in her body but she just starred, a look of a thousand emotions crossing her face. She backed out of Warren's embrace but he stepped after her and took her hands.

Meadow didn't let go and neither did Warren.

"I?" Meadow mumbled, feeling nervous.

Warren smiled sincerely and kept his distance. He himself was nervous as hell, but something inside him told him to keep contact with her, he knew he didn't want to let her go.

He smiled again, urging her to relax about the situation. He'd never really felt so comfortable with anyone in his life, especially a young woman. His days of courting had been shattered by his father, use of communication skills disappearing and an overwhelming sense of nervousness about his wings flooding his brain whenever a young lady had smiled and tried to talk to him.

Warren took a step closer and took her lips in a soft kiss, urging her mouth to part for him.

"Warren, I ….." Meadow tried to speak between the kiss, turning her head.

Warren looked and stopped smiling and noticed the tingling feeling in his hands. He tried to pull them from Meadow's grip but it felt like she was holding them too tightly. He looked back up to her and saw the worried look cross her face.

"Meadow you need to let go of my hands now." He spoke softly and calming. "Let, go."

Meadow made a sob in her throat and Warren started to panic, his hands feeling heavier and heavier.

"Meadow?" Warren cried as he saw his soft hands turn a cold shade of grey, the tingling feeling becoming painful. "Please let go!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She cried in devastation and worry as she tried to pull her own body away from him, her hands not wanting to leave their vice like grip on Warren's.

Warren panicked and his wings flew out quicker than he'd expected, flapping frantically in confusion, trying to pull his body away. The draft blew Meadow's hair away from her face and she closed her eyes and cried.

"Help us?" Warren cried into the night.

A figure clad in white ran through the trees to the opening and dashed to the blond girl.

Warren noticed the air becoming strong and he saw the figure of Miss Munroe flying down to them, her eyes wide with the scene.

"It's ok Warren, Emma, help her."

"_Ok sweetheart, listen to me, listen to me and concentrate on my voice, my voice is the only thing you can hear, the strongest thing you can concentrate on."_

"Get out my head." Meadow cried, tears flooding her cheeks. "Who are you? I? I?..."

Storm ran to Warren and took his arms from behind him, her arms reaching from under his wings giving him some support. Though his massive wings blocked her from the scene, Warren was glad to have the physical support, he felt.

"Don't struggle Warren, okay." She soothed.

Warren nodded; his heart beat multiplied a hundred times.

"_Think of my voice Meadow, listen to it, let go of Warren's hands, it's a simple as that, you can do it, picture your hands opening."_

"It won't let me." Meadow cried.

"_Picture them opening, every digit relaxing, see the light come back to your hands, no grey, no stone."_

A few seconds seemed like minutes in Warren's mind but he felt Meadows grip loosen, his own hands firmly still and grey.

Meadow slid her hands from Warren's and fell knees first onto the ground, sobbing like a little child. Emma Frost grabbed her and cradled her briefly. Storm took hold of Warren and lead him back to the mansion. "Emma, tell Hank to meet us." Storm spoke over her shoulder as she led a pale Warren into the trees.

"C'mon sweetheart, it's ok." Emma spoke rubbing Meadows arms, trying to sooth her.

* * *

The bike journey had been silent the whole way and Henri had an unpleasant feeling. The man at the bar had been a distant memory to her. Perhaps years ago, yet his face was fresh in her mind.

_Magneto_

Ten minutes had felt like a long drive and Logan was furious. Furious that that bum had been in the same bar as he was and furious he was as close to the mansion as he was. The worst part of it was the fact Henri had been silent the whole journey. Ok, so he had been silent and brooding but she'd put her helmet on and sat behind him, her arms not feeling their tightness that she'd had previously, a tightness that had made her fingers roam over his stomach causing Logan to focus on the road a bit better.

Lights were on when they pulled up and both exchanged the same glance as they walked into the mansion carefully.

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"Logan, my God, where the hell have you been, I thought you were meant to be watching the two of them?"

Both Logan and Henri starred in disbelief at Ororo's out burst.

"We are so lucky Miss Frost popped by to see Hank, otherwise, well, I don't know." She finished, slapping her thighs and gesturing, her arms wide.

"Why? What the hell's gone on?" Logan grunted his bad mood now evident.

"Is everything ok?" Henri asked worried.

"Err…" Storm put her hand to her fore head. "You'd best go and see Meadow, she's in her room."

Henri looked at Storm for another few seconds and then to Logan before she dashed up the stairs quickly.

Storm starred at Logan as Logan tried to light a cigar, his leather jacket, shrugged off his back.

"You were meant to be watching them I heard."

"And?"

"And? Something bad happened and now Warren's in the medical room Logan."

"What?" Logan asked through his cigar.

"His hands are stone, for the moment, immobile."

"She did that to him?" Logan asked in disbelief.

"It was an accident."

"Hey, it ain't my business what the two of 'em do in their own time."

"Logan this is no time for joking. We have a mutant upstairs who is dangerous… to herself. Now she didn't mean what she did but her powers are uncontrollable. If Emma wasn't around we'd have never known what was happening before its too late."

"Which is?"

"Logan she can turn people to stone and she can't control how she does it? Warren said all he did was try to kiss her and she freaked out….ahh, the point is, YOU should have been around. You shouldn't have let your personal life get in the way of our students till you knew it was safe to do so."

"But I didn't know did I?" Logan replied a bit harsher than he intended to say.

"It won't happen again Logan." Storm spoke as she tuned on her heel and walked passed him.

"Meadow?" The voice came after the knock.

A tall blonde woman stood up from next to Meadow and smiled. "You must be Henri?"

"Yes." Henri replied walking over to the bed and embracing Meadow, who still was staring into space, silent

"Hey Meadow, it's okay, it's gonna be okay." Henri softly spoke.

Henri turned to Emma who was walking to the door inclining her head for Henri to join her.

Outside the door Emma noticed the students peering from their doors. "In your rooms please." She spoke eyeing up and down the corridor.

"What the hell's gone on?" Henri asked hands on hips, trying not to raise her voice.

"Tonight, there's been an incident. Meadow caused Warren's hands to turn to stone."

"Shit…"

"The problem is how long does this effect last for and what precautions do we have to take for the boy? That's were you come in; you need to tell us about Meadow and her mutation. We can't talk to Meadow herself she's in shock, she's…." Emma left her sentence and hurried through Meadow's door, Henri straight behind her.

"My God, Meadow NO!"

Meadow was looking in her mirror and had her palm on her cheek.

"No meadow." Herni shouted grabbing her arm away, enveloping the young woman who was now crying her eyes out. "Warren's gonna be ok, don't punish yourself."

Emma watched the scene with worry and asked Hank and Storm to come upstairs.

Logan had made his way up to the room and peered through the door.

"You can come in Logan." Emma spoke as if it was here own room, eyeing the Wolverine with a slick smile.

Logan saw the women and swallowed his, throat a little dry. He looked to Henri and found he couldn't speak to her, not with Meadow and Emma in the room.

"I, err, just wanted to see, if,….well….?" Logan mumbled, making his way back out into the corridor. He paused a couple of seconds, perhaps waiting for someone to want to talk to him and noticed or at least sensed eyes peering from behind closed doors. "In your rooms if you wanna see tomorrow." He growled loud and menacingly before he stalked off downstairs. It was going to be a long night.


End file.
